Finding Sakura
by Crystal Avatar
Summary: [Rated T for HET LIME, MILD LANG, HIGH VIOL] Haruno Sakura has vanished. Naruto can find her, but before he does that, he must first find himself. Brace yourself for the most action packed operation ever set in the Naruto universe.
1. Awaken, Young ANBU Agent

_Finding Sakura  
By: Crystal Avatar_

_**Story Summary and Plot Synopsis:  
**One Nin had managed to shake an entire village the night he decided to leave and embrace a twisted journey towards power. That boy's name was Uchiha Sasuke. _

_Rescue operations were conducted and search parties were sent out, but Sasuke was never found. A young nin named Uzumaki Naruto had sworn to his childhood friend that he would bring him back, but ultimately, Naruto would return home to his childhood love with nothing but a broken promise and a broken heart._

_Years later, the town has somewhat recovered from Uchiha Sasuke's defection. Life is normal in Konoha, until the day the message was discovered._

_It was a horrible message that revealed that a certain young woman had been taken from them and that Uzumaki Naruto would be forced to enter an epic search to find her._

_It was the same young girl from his past- the one he had broken his promise too. _

_His childhood love, Haruno Sakura, had been kidnapped._

**_Legal Disclaimer:_**  
The Naruto Universe belongs to Kishimoto Masahi. All relevant names and ideas belong to that man, whether he is living or dead during the time of this work's creation. I have great respect for the manga-ka and his works and have no intention of defacing or otherwise perverting his works. This story is written for entertainment purposes only.

**_Canon Disclaimer:_**  
Warning: I may tend to digress a little with regards to the Akatsuki and their motives. If you're not an avid reader of the Naruto manga, then I'm sure you won't pick up on this anyway.

**

* * *

_Part One: The Discovery_  
****Chapter One: Awaken, Young ANBU Agent**

"You will never find me…" A voice echoed through his mind.

"Sasuke… I'll get you, Sasuke…" His own voice echoed back.

It was a long, dark hallway, bathed in an eerie, orange light.

Suddenly, the tall, dark-haired boy was standing in front of him, blocking the path onward. Naruto outstretched his hands to grab at the traitor and tackled him to the floor.

"I have you!" He called, wrestling him to the ground.

"No- I have you!" The other roared back, only it was no longer Sasuke, but a huge, orange fox with eyes burning with evil. It glared down at him with evil intent, it's hungry fire leaping at his tiny, weak body, searing his arms with awful intent.

"No! Please! No!" The boy screamed back.

"I have you, Uzumaki Naruto!" The monster roared, consuming its prey in an unforgiving fire.

* * *

The nightmare had ended as soon as it had started. It was the same one he had been having ever since his rival had left the village. The dream had been becoming more frequent of late. Something was missing this time, though. At the part where he had always seen the woman of his desires crying at his failure to capture him, Sakura was, at this time, nowhere to be seen.

Had he woken up too soon? But, if so, what had awoken him?

"Uzumaki Naruto? Naruto?" A voice called from outside the wall.

Then he realized that there was an awful knocking noise at the door that wouldn't leave him alone. As if the heavy, banging noise wasn't enough, a gruff voice also had to call and yell for his name too. His mind quickly raced back through all that he had done the day before.

"Uzumaki! Are you in there?"

His memories were a drunken haze. A painful headache swelled in his head like a red coal. He looked around his plain bedroom for some visual cue but found nothing except empty beer bottles and instant ramen packets. Had he committed some drunken mischief or unwittingly gotten on the bad side of a higher-ranking officer? There was no way to know- except too…

"Answer the door, you lazy piece of…"

"I'm coming, damn it, wait up," Naruto growled back.

He picked himself up off the bed and smoothed his hair back behind his head. He paused to consider whether he should put some pants on, but thought he had left the man waiting for long enough. If he were to bear a nine o'clock wake up visit, he decided, the guest would have to bear the sight of his boxers. It was a fair trade as far as he was concerned.

He reached up to the doorknob and twisted its handle. The door swung open with the same, annoying screeching noise metal made against metal. It drilled into his brain.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked the small, stocky man in front of him.

He was a peculiar-looking man: short and bald, but with a thick frame. He was dressed in plain white robes, which indicated that he was either a priest or one of the Hokage's attendants. He knew it was the latter when he saw the rolled scroll in his hands.

It took some time for him to register the naked boy in front of him, but he quickly began talking as businesslike as he could muster.

"My name is Takahashi Rei. The Hokage has sent me to summon you to her office," He replied neatly, readjusting his composure and padding his sweaty forehead.

"What does the snail-woman want with me now?" Naruto asked, genuinely interested. Although he had been particularly close with her at one stage, he hadn't had a chance to see or hear from her since his training started. In truth, they had both been too busy to meet.

"The Hokage says that an urgent matter has surfaced and that you are needed immediately. The rest of the details are classified. You will know more when you follow me," Rei replied, unfurling his letter and handing it to the bewildered young man in front of him.

Naruto opened the parchment and read what it said:

_By Order Of The Fifth Hokage of Konoha,_

_ANBU Sergeant Uzumaki Naruto, who currently resides in 9 West Street, Market District, Konoha, is summoned to the Office of The Hokage of Konoha for a matter of utmost urgency and immediacy. Failure to comply may lead to a police arrest or higher penalties. _

_Sergeant Uzumaki is released of his current, formal duties and assignments pertaining to his role as an ANBU operative for until the Hokage has deemed, effective immediately._

_Signed: Tsunade, Fifth Hokage. _

"Shit. Well, I guess we shouldn't keep that old hag waiting," Naruto said dryly, rolling the letter in his hands and passing it back to the messenger in a most ungraceful way.

"Please. Follow me," The attendant replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the war theaters inside the Hokage's Quarters, several Jounin and ANBU commanders were busily rushing about, preparing for a surprise briefing for the operatives they had awoken and invited to their party. Uzumaki Naruto was one of these operatives.

Well aware of the commotion outside their private office, Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konoha and a village-renowned Jounin were busily discussing what had happened that morning.

"It says that it has to be him. Look: it even _names _him: 'Uzumaki'," The tall, blonde woman remarked with a scorning disbelief. "The least we could do is take a look at him and decide then if we should go with him or…"

The man looked at the clean, white piece of paper in her hands. He was beyond feeling the loss and anxiety of the discovery. Now, he was focused and concentrated.

"I've seen him, ma'am," He replied coldly. "I can understand you thinking that he's going to be anything like how when you first met him but, with all due respect, I train with him every week and he's… he's in a bad way. I strongly suggest you choose another to lead - for his safety… and hers, Hokage-sama."

"For goodness sakes, Kakashi, can you be any more without hope for this boy? What has happened to him since? Has he forgotten his skills? Has his power left him? Can we train him back to some condition that'll make him fit for this operation? That damn fox inside him should give him something to run with, right?" She asked tearfully, not knowing if it was her desperation or her concern for her missing pupil that was staining her Hokage façade.

Hatake Kakashi, once the proud leader of the now-disbanded Team Kakashi, stroke the stubble on his chin, trying to place words from his mind into his mouth. All of them were bad and pessimistic, but he knew that in the end, the final decision rested on his master.

"He's still Uzumaki. There's nothing wrong with his strength or his power… it's just that… well, he's been through bouts of depression ever since the day Sasuke left the village. And the fact that his time with Haruno Sakura was cut down so that she could stay here and train with you didn't really help him. In the end, he's nothing but a tough shell. He's got the power, but not the spirit to use it. He's just not in the right mindset for something like this…"

"Are you accusing of me of 'stealing' Sakura from Naruto?" Tsunade asked sharply.

Relations between the two had deteriorated since Kakashi was forced to declare his team disbanded. The pair seldom saw each other anymore and Kakashi always preferred to pass his messages to the Hokage through Jiraiya, given the former's unexplainable temper tantrums.

Still, Kakashi knew it'd be wise to watch his step… and his tongue.

"No… it's just that… well, Naruto has had a tough time. We'll both take a look at him and then afterwards, you can tell me what you think about him…" And that was Kakashi's way of asking her to change the subject.

"I want you to know something, Kakashi…" Tsunade murmured, changing her tone and quieting down her voice as if she were afraid that the ninja outside would hear her.

"Yes, Hokage?"

"Haruno Sakura is like a daughter to me. I've been training her for close to five years now so… her and I… we go back a long way. I also know that she's powerful enough to do more than just take care of her self now… I don't know who or _what _has taken her away from me but all I know is that the intentions here can't be good. I love that girl and I just want her back."

The Hokage placed the sheet on the desk and pulled the small band that was holding her long, luscious hair together in a ponytail and began playing with it on her desktop. She was disheartened… and nervous and trying to fake a relaxed manner in her tall desk chair.

"I know and I understand what you are saying, ma'am, I really do. I have a strong gut feeling that says your feelings aren't much different from Naruto's. I just hope that those feelings are enough to make him realize the seriousness of this situation and that he snaps out of his alcohol and focuses on the operation," Kakashi sighed, placing his arms on the table in front of her and leaning into them.

"I'm sure he'll be ready. I know he hasn't seen her for a long time and I'm sorry to have to charge him like this to see her again, but I'm sure that stubborn willpower of his is still alive."

Suddenly, the racket outside climbed to a fever pitch, until an ANBU commander yelled something over the P.A. system in the briefing theaters.

"Operatives, take your seats and quiet please- the briefing is about to begin. We were waiting on one operative, but he's finally arrived, so now, we can begin. I know that all of you had to wake up awful early this morning, but we have an emergency situation and…" The loudspeaker announced, echoing across the walls of the theater outside.

The pair inside the private office had been silently listening when Rei, Tsunade's attendant, the one he had sent to fetch Naruto from the market district, returned, out of breath and with sweat on his forehead. Tsunade knew that he was one of those types that sweated too much.

"Hokage-sama, all of the operatives you have summoned have arrived here. They're all waiting outside and are currently being briefed. Will you come outside to talk to them?" The attendant asked, still holding Naruto's summoning notice in his hands.

"Is Uzumaki Naruto present?" Kakashi asked the man without turning his back to face him in the doorway. He kept his one good eye locked on Tsunade's own.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," He replied quickly.

Kakashi sighed, "Good luck, Hokage-sama, and may your judgment be true. I know we'll have Sakura back with us soon. Just don't lose your nerve out there."

Tsunade picked up the ransom letter and got up, stopped briefly at the door and sighed, saying:

"Well, for now, I guess both of those things depend on Naruto."


	2. The Game Begins

_Part One: The Discovery _  
Chapter Two: The Game Begins 

The room was warm and humid with the cloying presence of ANBU agents everywhere. Officers who thought they were too smug to look at the lower-downs hurried about the room in a snooty manner carrying stacks of papers and small boxes. Uzumaki Naruto paused at the door, gave himself a moment to take his breath, and scanned the seats in the theater for a place he might sit without attracting too much attention to his tardiness.

Rei, the attendant who had brought him here, scurried off urgently to a back office that sat somewhere behind the top row of seats. From the looks of things, he had been sent to retrieve a few people from their beds this morning and he had made Naruto the last one on his list. As Naruto looked around, he found that many of the agents that had been collected for the early morning briefing were people who he knew- at a previous stage, anyway.

Suddenly, an officer announced something from the lectern at the center of the room. It jolted Naruto's early-morning dizziness and sounded like it was addressing him personally.

"Operatives, take your seats and quiet please- the briefing is about to begin. We were waiting on one operative, but he's _finally_ arrived, so now, we can begin. I know that all of you had to wake up awful early this morning, but we have an emergency situation and urgent action has been called for in the face of a new and alarming crisis," The ANBU commander announced.

Naruto's attention was still busy wandering fields of flowers when he noisily, and with great frustration, snaked his way between the legs of a few anonymous members of the audience at the back row and took his seat to the listen to the emergency alert.

"One of our highest-ranking politicians, an apprentice to the Hokage, has been stolen away from us! Kidnapped from within the last twenty-four hours, as we can surmise," He continued.

The amphitheater suddenly became a beehive of whispers and gasps. Noise emanated as light suddenly does from a firefly.

Naruto scratched his right cheek and yawned, nearly thinking it was a good idea to rest his head on the shoulder of the young, attractive blonde next to him. That was until he was jolted awake by the next few words.

The question came from a familiar face- a bowl haircut, a pair of unique, dark eyes…

It was Rock Lee. He recognized the face almost instantaneously. Had he been selected for this as well? His presence meant little to Uzumaki, but his question struck the magnitude home.

"Apprentice? You can only be referring to Haruno Sakura? Am I right?" Lee asked alarmed.

Naruto looked up at the commander, watched for his confirmation.

"That's right. Ladies and gentleman of ANBU, Haruno Sakura has been kidnapped."

"Within the last twenty-four hours? That's insane!" A burly voice cried.

It was Akimichi Choji, another blast from his past, sitting further up at the front rows.

"From right under our noses? Impossible!" Another familiar voice exclaimed.

Inuzuka Kiba, Naruto learned, was a part of the party as well.

Naruto swallowed his time, feeling nervousness crawl into his lungs and spark away at the muscles that held his shoulders high. Haruno Sakura was missing- kidnapped, even.

He was certain how he felt about it, but his old comrades, friendships he had had in another lifetime, sure knew how they would react to their beloved princess missing.

"Enough squabbling," The commander ordered. "This is a shock to all of us. Now we must focus on bringing her back. Her rescue is an objective undeniable to Konoha. This is purely a Konoha matter. The Lord of this country would care little for this and so, he hasn't been told. For us, however, the loss of Sakura could spell a total disaster for us all."

'A total disaster?' Naruto mused in his thoughts. He had no idea that Sakura was so important to the entire village. But for what reason was Sakura so important?

"Our lady, Sakura, apprentice to the Hokage, had been privy to some very powerful and top-secret training. She cannot be allowed to remain alive with her captors for long lest they discover her techniques and replicate them. This is why she must be found as soon as possible. We are devising a rescue team made purely of ANBU operatives who had had some involvement with her in the past. I know that we normally don't include those personally affiliated with the victim but this is the Hokage's order. Involvement of the named is compulsory. I will step down and Lieutenant Mizuho will read the names of the team."

Suddenly, Naruto noticed someone standing to the side and slightly behind the announcer at the back of the stage. It was a tall, feminine shadow. A woman he had seen oftentimes before. He could feel her eyes staring back at him from within the darkness and for a second he thought he could feel her expectations, her loss at losing her loved apprentice.

At that point, the gruff ANBU commander swapped places with an attractive red-haired woman holding a single sheet of paper. She took the stand immediately and began saying:

" These are the names of the men and women that have been selected by high command to be tasked with the investigation, rescue and, if needed, the destruction of _Haruno Sakura_. All named personnel are to stand and leave the amphitheater through the doors to my right and take a seat at the meeting table inside.

"Aburame Shino is called- for his tracking capabilities and keen sense of direction."

Without another word, Shino immediately got up, and made his way to the doors.

"Akimichi Choji is called- to handle logistics and home-base duties for the team."

Choji, seemingly rounder than he had been in the past, also got up and left the room.

"Hyuga Hinata is called- a nimble scout with reconnaissance abilities."

Hinata stood, looked about the room for a second, then turned and left.

"Hyuga Neji is called- an heavy assaulter also equipped with reconnaissance abilities.

Neji stood and followed his cousin before she had reached the doors.

"Inuzuka Kiba is called- adept at intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence measures."

Kiba, still a gruff figure with long, dark hair, stood up, pooch in hand, and left the theater.

"Nara Shikamaru is called- a quick thinker and dependable point man."

Nara's hair was slightly longer, but otherwise he seemed the same after all these years.

"Rock Lee is called- another heavy assaulter, trained in explosive martial techniques."

Lee got up and, in a stylish manner that attracted everyone's attention, leapt up towards the ceiling and descended again towards the double doors that led outside the room.

"Tenten is called- with a steady hand and proficiency in most weapons, she is the sniper."

Tenten, in a contrasting anticlimax to Lee before her, plainly got to her feet and left the room.

"Yamanaka Ino is called- Doubling as an assaulter and team medic."

Ino similarly got up and left the room.

Most predictably, his name was called last… and with no formal introductions.

"Uzumaki Naruto is also to report to the meeting room. That is all. All other operatives are to remain in normal duties unless otherwise ordered."

Naruto stood up robotically, considered for a second whether or no he should really be here, and then decided that it was worth going on to see just how this mystery had developed.

And as he left the room, he knew he could feel the Hokage's eyes piercing him from behind. Did she really want him here? Did she despise him? The three of them, including Sakura, had once shared a precarious relationship in the past. He wondered if she remembered this.

"Alright, people," The commander called, retaking his position at the center, "The rest of you have been selected as reserved personnel: you can all go back to sleep unless we need you back for the mission. As always, this operation is top secret and there will be no talk of this outside your duties. Dismissed."

* * *

The amphitheater's audience broke without another word. Each of the deadly, highly disciplined occupants of the room left their seats and sought the doors they had been ordered to leave through. Only a small portion of them, Naruto included, went deeper into the building.

And from further behind the Hokage in the shadows, Kakashi's voice whispered, "I hope you're doing the right thing, Tsunade. He has very deep feelings for that girl. He could get attached."

And Tsunade murmured back, "He's the only one that loves her as much, if not more than, me. Kakashi, I _know _I'm doing the right thing. If anyone can bring her back, it's that boy."

* * *

The meeting room was slightly cooler and much less populated than the room before and, as he entered, all suddenly went hush quiet, as if a murderer had entered their midst.

He looked about the tables and saw only familiar faces look up too witness his entry. It was an awkward reunion of sorts. In fact, he realized he had felt much more comfortable in the previous room. Now, as he always has been, he was again the center of attention.

His eyes darted around the room, trying to hide their nervousness, although, in a room so small, he had little doubt that his friends couldn't smell the sweat behind his neck. He didn't know why they made him feel uncomfortable; he just knew he couldn't look at them after the incident involving Sasuke years ago.

At the center of this small, meeting room was a large, dark oak table. It was ornately designed and very well polished. The boy had little doubt that it regularly housed the highest commanders of Konoha's ANBU during important conferences. Now, what it held at it's edges, was a parade of young men and women, barely out of high school, but each one trained to kill.

There were eleven seats at the table, one of which were placed separately at the far end of the table and built differently, more elaborately than the other ten. He knew that the lone seat at the top was probably reserved for Tsunade, so he took his seat in between Hinata and Ino at the other, bottom end of the table.

For a second, he thought he heard Ino grumble and Hinata gasp as he took his seat.

Then awkward seconds rolled by.

Since Sasuke had left, the ten young adults seated around the room had nearly forgotten each other. Ragged bonds and childhood friendships were still there, but, since turning adults and since Sasuke's defection, they had all changed, matured, become more grounded.

They all remained quiet, glancing about the faces in the room and pretending not to have noticed when another member returned a glance. Naruto, kept his eyes on the table below him, not wishing to lift his chin. Besides, the sudden announcement of Sakura's kidnapping and his lack of sleep had combined to grill him with an unbearable headache.

He didn't know what to think. Then, a thought struck him.

'I have to talk to these people. If I'm going to work with them to bring back Sakura, I cant stay quiet with them for the entire mission.'

And as he lifted his face to greet Hinata, who was quietly staring at her two clasped hands, the doors to the room broke open and interrupted him.

It was Tsunade.

"Okay, boys and girls, let's get this show on the road."

She was a beautiful woman dressed in smooth, green robes. Her long, yellow hair was held in a simple manner, trailing down to the small of her back in locks and turns. Her stride was smooth and confident, almost cold, and her glasses seemed to steam with her urgency.

All ten members of the table, with Naruto being the last one, stood from their seats in respect as Tsunade took her position at the head of the table.

"Be seated," She replied to their gesture.

The ten did so.

"Firstly, before I begin," Tsunade quipped, licking her lips in a slight, seductive manner, "I am assuming you all know why you are here. What the ten of you are about to attempt and why."

"We're here to rescue Sakura!" Lee cried, his words not being entirely ridiculous given the mood of the people around him. He had said it with the tone in everyone's mind.

The other nine nodded.

"She has had secret training. She knows forbidden techniques," Shino added ominously.

"Yeah- what's the deal with that?" Kiba demanded. "_Forbidden_ techniques?"

"Settle down, everyone," Tsunade said quietly without losing her authority. "First I must ask all of you who are unwilling to participate to leave the room now, because once I start talking and you hear what I have too say, you will be forced to stay and swear an oath of silence."

When Tsunade paused and saw that everyone had willingly remained, she continued.

"Good. My advisors and I have predicted that the kidnapping had occurred late last night at her home. At this moment, there are ANBU agents at her home searching for any clues or leads that could point to her kidnapper. Morino Ibiki is leading the investigation there. From what we know, Ibiki has reported that there was no sign of a struggle, no violence and no sign of a forced entry into Sakura's home," Tsunade recited duly, feeling a sense of regret.

"Wait, hasn't Sakura lived with you since you started training her, Hokage-sama?" Neji asked.

"A common assumption. The truth is that she insisted she remain in her own home far from this building, a few blocks away from the central markets," She replied.

"No sign of a struggle? How do we know she just didn't decided to get up and leave?" Ino interjected, suddenly developing a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Because of this," Tsunade announced, slapping a single sheet of paper onto to the table.

Everyone had been talking, except for Naruto, until the evidence had been produced.

"This is a letter, left by Sakura's kidnapper. Sakura's mailman found it nailed to the front of her door early this morning. In fact, it's only been about three hours since this letter was discovered today. It's written in plain black ink and its handwriting is too generalized to recognize. Anyway, the letter says:

"_You have one week after the day this letter is found.  
The girl will die.  
Unless you send the Kyubi to come get her."_

With that, the team stopped and stared at Naruto, who was concentrating hard on the wood of the surface in front of him. His fists clenched tightly, out of view, below the table.

"It makes no mention of who the letter is from, but the advisors and I have drawn two highly-possible predictions based on the facts we have available. The first known fact is the skill and incredible power with which her kidnapping must have taken place- Sakura would have most definitely put up a fight, but she was clearly overwhelmed. This suggests a very powerful and very organized agent or, more likely, agency. The second known fact is that it asks for Naruto and refers to him as the 'Kyubi'. Few people in Konoha know this, and even fewer outside Konoha. The third known fact is Sakura's training. If the enemy knew what…"

"And what _has _Sakura been learning, Miss Hokage?" Kiba called again, eyeing her down this time. He was annoyed at all the secrets their government had to keep from them.

"Sakura has been training, very recently, in containment techniques. She has only just learned how to deal with demons by sealing them in a host. Such is the essential training that a future Hokage must know. She has also been taught how to release sealed creatures," Tsunade said in a firm, businesslike tone.

Naruto groaned inwardly at the mention of the girl's role and training.

"Sweet mother," Choji grumbled to the boy next to him.

"This _is _crazy. I didn't know what that girl was capable of doing…" Shikamaru agreed.

"And the only two suspect organizations that come to mind are-" And Tsunade was cut off.

And for the first time since he had entered the Hokage's command center, since he had entered the meeting room and reunited with them all in this one room, Uzumaki Naruto chose this moment to speak and let the concern he had been pretending not to have be heard.

"The Sound Ninja or The Akatsuki or both of them working together," Naruto called with eyes closed in anticipation of the difficulties if he was right. "It _has _to be them."

"Exactly," Tsunade agreed, looking again at his pained eyes.

"Sonuva…" Neji was about to swear, but was interrupted by the Hokage.

"Well, that's all we have for you people. The rest is up to you," Tsunade added.

"When do we begin," Naruto asked quietly and with a slight tinge of hidden rage.

"Tomorrow."

"Why not now?" Neji cried.

"On the night she was kidnapped, a guard mentioned in his report that several shadows were spotted in the vicinity of our walls, heading south east away from Konoha. They didn't seem intent on attacking us, they just appeared to be 'passing through', and so our watchers did nothing. This is our first lead and we've sent scouts this morning to look around the area and see if they're still inside our borders. They'll be back by this evening to report on their findings. In the meantime, the ten of you will eat, sleep and prepare yourselves for tomorrow. If they're still around, we'll send you to interrogate them, and if the scouts see nothing, then we wait until Ibiki or someone else can turn up another lead for you guys to follow."

The rest of the conference was mere small talk and confirming questions and within half an hour, the entire team had left to pursue their own activities within the village. It may well have been their final day in their home and they would try to make the most of it.

Naruto, however, hanged behind, waiting for all of them to leave so that he may ask the woman at the head of the table his own, personal questions.

"Why us?"

Tsunade looked up above her glasses and seemed surprised to notice that he had remained and that the room had not been empty as was her assumption. She sighed and replied:

"Because the ten of you were her friends. Your knowledge about her must have some way to help in the search. She couldn't have left the country if the kidnapping was only last night, so we need quick eyes that know where to look and what to look for."

"Okay, that's understandable. But, why me? I'm sure you remember what my past involvements with her had been like. Isn't there a rule against letting me in on the operation? And don't say it was just because of the note. We both know you could send someone in disguise, or a look-alike to play my part. Was I really the best choice?" He asked.

"Because of the last three words Sakura spoke to me the night she was kidnapped."

"What were they?" Naruto asked.

"She said: 'I… love… him…'"

"Who?" Naruto asked; his curiosity more than piqued at this point.

But he received no answers from the Hokage. She simply stared at him through her glasses until Naruto conceded and nodded his head in surrender. He knew that she would never tell if she had decided not too. Such was the close bond between her and her apprentice.

He got up to leave and made his way to the door, and, with another glance at Tsunade, who had already returned to shuffling her papers and rearranging her things on the table, closed the doors and left the building.

"Go find her and ask her, Naruto," She whispered as she stood up. "Ask her yourself."


	3. One Stolen Kiss

_Part Two: The Ruined Temple_  
Chapter Three: One Stolen Kiss

_7 Days To Find Haruno Sakura_

Uzumaki Naruto yawned as he stepped into the ANBU central armory.

He had had another nightmare and sleep was hard fought for, as was beginning to be the case with all of his nights of tossing and turning. Unfortunately for him, waking up today was a necessity, not a choice, as word related to Sakura's kidnapping returned.

And as Naruto made his way to the mission outfit room to collect the gear that had been issued to him, his footsteps seemed to resound with the briefing he and the rest of the rescue team had received that morning in the Hokage's office a few minutes ago.

And of course, the strange thing that happened afterwards…

* * *

"There is an old Buddhist temple located a few miles south-east of Konoha. Years ago, when our agents discovered it, it was occupied by an evil cult that would sacrifice innocent children to a dark god that was the object of worship there. After an ANBU assault on the temple, the evil cult was eliminated, but the temple was never fully exorcized of it's residual evil by our own priests. This is why we leave signposts on the road: so that travelers know that the temple is a potentially dangerous place."

The Hokage's assistant, Rei, got to work behind her, flicking a few switches and powering a small projector. The image that came on the roller screen was of a large, brown-brick building with several strange dome structures along the top of its roof.

Tsunade continued as if she wasn't aware of the images flashing behind her.

"This is where we think the kidnappers are holding Sakura."

The images cycled through the projector of its own accord, showing several angles and shots of the temple's entrances, walls and courtyards. Strangely, there were no shots of the inside of the building. The cycle promptly stopped at an image of three dark figures, two of which were possibly standing guard at the main entrance to the temple, while the third seemed to be discussing something with them.

The resolution of the image was barely enough for any of the party to make out any particular details on their faces or clothes.

"As I mentioned yesterday, the scouts that had been sent to investigate the suspects had returned late last night to report these images. Apparently, the trail that the kidnappers left behind them ends here. Also, I should mention, that the entire four-man squad did not return home last night. One of our scouts became missing shortly after the temple was discovered. This scout, Ichige Daisuke, was the one sent inside to shoot images of the inside. As of now, we have received no contact from him."

At this point, Kiba raised his hand to interrupt the Hokage with a question.

"Is there anything in archives that can tell us what the last team that went in there had to deal with? There must be old maps of the temple lying around or something, right?"

"Unfortunately," Tsunade answered with a sigh, "The new archives haven't been around for very long. Anything on the past mission had already been destroyed along with the rest of the old records a few years ago. All we have are some strange articles on travelers disappearing in its vicinity now and then: probably people who don't respect our signs enough and end up getting lost inside… or possibly something worse than that…"

"Something worse?" Ino scoffed with a crack in her voice.

"Like I said before, the evil temple has never been purified. Let that imply to you what it will. It would probably be reasonable to believe that you will be dealing with booby traps the minute you step inside. The suspect kidnappers either aren't aware of these traps or they have someone who does. If it's the latter, this mission could get very hairy."

"Because then they'd have an advantage over us," Neji added. "This whole mission sounds like an ambush waiting to happen. We could all die out there."

The crowd went solemn with his last sentence.

"Or maybe," Shikamaru suddenly said, "That it's the other case and that they don't know what they're dealing with either: that maybe they've already taken some losses of their own. The way I see it, we're dealing with death both ways. If we decide not go in and Sakura is in there, we're all going to die if they discover her techniques. At least if we try, we might discover more clues as to who kidnapped Sakura and what they intend to do with her abilities. The most logical thing to do would be to try."

The crowd nodded in reluctant agreement with Shikamaru's point, especially Choji, who seemed especially riled up after his friend's input.

"Shikamaru's right, guys! We've got to try and follow this lead, there's nothing else."

"Sakura is depending on us," Hinata chimed quietly.

"Depending on us…" Lee repeated in a whisper.

Tsunade had remained quiet while the entire team discussed the risks involved amongst themselves. When she had found that they had all reached some sort of agreement, she announced the mission plan and the rest of the small details.

"Shikamaru, you're the team leader. Would you be willing to check the temple to see if Haruno Sakura is being held inside?" She asked, with some tone in her voice implying that he didn't really have a choice.

Shikamaru took his decision seriously, remaining silent for a few seconds, then, for seemingly no reason, shot a somber glance at Naruto, as if his eyes were asking for his permission.

Naruto looked back at him with a steely gaze that betrayed nothing.

And finally, the leader of the rescue team gave the Hokage their loyalty to the mission.

"Yes, Hokage, we accept your mission."

And the team let out a collective breath of focus and cold fear. The mission was theirs now and it was their job to flesh it out.

Tsunade began in earnest.

"Okay, now, as it stands, you have two objectives: the first is to rescue Haruno. If it turns out she isn't there, it should be possible to at least secure some sort of clue as to where to look next. If you guys really discover nothing related to Sakura's disappearance, then she would've truly vanished without a trace, lost forever. Your next objective will be to find the missing scout, Ichige Daisuke, find out his status and bring him back if possible. If you find him dead, your orders are to destroy his remains."

"Weapons? Gear? Anything for us to collect?" Tenten asked plaintively.

"Yes, after this briefing, the ten of you are to report to the quartermaster's office at the armory to collect your issue. All of the items you will need are in named lockers in Outfit-One: Radios, provisions, swords and body-armor- all the usual items. Any questions before all you leave now for the armory to suit up?"

"How long has it been since our scout went missing?"

The entire room looked at Naruto, who had not spoken since the briefing had begun. He was truly beginning to become a quiet member of the team, someone not noticed.

"It's been about twelve hours. Why?" Tsunade replied, after her initial shock.

"Assuming that the kidnappers discovered our scout there and killed him, our situation has the potential to become a bit more problematic…"

"How do you mean?" Shikamaru asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, I'm saying two things could've happened in the twelve hours between then and now: Either they've realized we're on to their tracks and that they can't take another minute resting at that temple, so they've retreated further away from Konoha, possibly outside the country by now or…"

"Or…?" Neji asked sardonically.

"Or they've fortified their positions and are expecting us to send people in there. Both situations are bad, with the latter one being pretty damn lethal."

The team immediately began debating amongst themselves whether or not a point had been made. Naruto himself chose to remain silent and allowed them to discuss the realization amongst themselves as if all he wanted to do was stir trouble.

Then, the Hokage cut them all off.

"So," Tsunade cried, in mock disappointment, "Is that to say that your are unwilling for this mission to go ahead? Afraid of the risks, Uzumaki?"

Naruto just stared back at her and replied:

"No, I'm going. I just wanted to justify you giving me permission to carry two swords for this mission. You know, so the quartermaster doesn't give me a funny look."

Tsunade stared back at him, a hateful frown nearly touching her lips before a strange smile illuminated her face with a steady glow.

"Done. This briefing is over. Collect your gear and leave through the main gates when everyone is ready. My assistant, Shizune-san, will be waiting at the gates to bid you goodbye. She'll also be waiting there tonight to welcome you back and to receive your reports and findings for me… Good luck."

And as the team scrambled to get up and leave the room, Tsunade added:

"Oh, and Naruto, remain behind to collect your permission papers."

Naruto did as he was told and, instead of walking towards the closed doors of the room, headed towards his commander's desk to wait, as she wrote something down and handed it to him. She looked back at him with pursed lips and said:

"Really, Naruto? Two swords?"

"Well, I was going to suggest that this mission shouldn't even be attempted but I saw how willing everyone else was to kill themselves. Can't let them have all the fun…"

Tsunade stared at his face until he turned to face her royal eyes with his own. They stared deeply at one another: Tsunade with her pleading, troubled Hokage look and Naruto with his cocky, cynical mischief. In the end, it was Tsunade who broke the three-second silence that seemed to span for hours. Her lips were slow and deliberate.

"Is there really no place left in your heart for Sakura?"

Naruto looked away, grit his teeth, then lit up with a fake smirk.

"There's no place left in my heart for foolishness, Hokage."

"Really?" Tsunade asked, before grabbing the back of his neck under his long blonde hair and physically forcing him to stare at back into her face and see the worry and concern burning underneath her skin. She was close to tears, but did not cry.

"Hokage…" Naruto gasped.

And then Tsunade kissed him.

Her lips were warm and moist and entirely upon him. For a few brief seconds he tried to believe that it was the kiss of a mother, but it felt more than that. It was the kiss of a woman stricken with self-pity, of someone lonely, of one who could see her only hope and how far away it was from her. No, this kiss was nothing like a mother's.

It was the kiss of a lover.

"Call me Tsunade."

And as her tongue snaked its way inside his mouth, Naruto tried to think for a way to conclude the engagement without embarrassing himself or the Hokage. Truly, he was confused, unsure of how he had ended up here and still trying to trace the events that led up. The Hokage on the other hand showed no sign of letting up.

Her hands wrapped themselves around his scalp, began pulling on his hair, urging the kiss to go further and further until…

Hinata.

Suddenly, the female Hyuga just stormed back through the closed doors into the office, words preparing to burst out of her mouth when she suddenly gasped at the scene she beheld at the sight of the table: Naruto was kissing the Hokage!

"Naruto! Ho-Hokage-sama! I was just coming back to discuss something about my gear… I-I didn't know you two were kiss- In the middle of something. I'll come back later?" She stammered, looking embarrassed and turning to make her way out.

Naruto hastily broke the kiss and turned to her, finding nothing to say.

The Hokage was flustered and slightly uncomfortable, knocking herself back into her powerful, leadership posture, salvaging what dignity she could and called to Hinata:

"Hyuga Hinata! Come back- you interrupted nothing! Let us discuss what your issue was with the gear? Hinata! Come back!" She called without losing control of her voice.

But Hinata was gone, pretending not to hear anything.

Naruto turned to his commander and saw the exasperation on her face. Despite her embarrassment, she seemed to be looking alive and well again, far from the sadness of a few seconds ago. She was normal again… for now.

"Why did you just…?" He said, with no clear emotion in his face.

The young man didn't remain to hear an answer, thinking better of it, as he turned to leave and chase after Hinata in an attempt to clear up certain 'misconceptions' she might've been having. And anyway, he knew he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun…" She murmured to his fading figure.

"Hinata! Wait a second!" Naruto called outside the doors in his deep, dark voice.

Somehow, both Naruto and Tsunade knew that what happened that morning would be unfinished business for another day. But for now, there were more pressing concerns in Naruto's mind.

Sakura was still missing and the long hike to the temple was due to come.


End file.
